Daily Topics - February 18th 2010 "Live" from the Conservative Political Action Conference
By Louise
Live from CPAC
Quote: “A great democracy must be progressive or it will soon cease to be a great democracy" Theodore Roosevelt
Hour One - 14 year old - Jonathan Krohn definingconservatismbook.com "Defining Conservatism: The Principles That Will Bring Our Country Back"
Plus Ken Hoagland www.fairtax.org "Fair Tax" - Time for a second tax revolt
Hour Two - John Felmy chief economist for the American Petroleum Institute (API) www.api.org
Hour Three - David Bossie President of Citizens United and Citizens United Productions www.citizensunited.org Supreme Court decision in their favor give personhood to corporations
Plus...Ryan Hecker, Houston, Texas grassroots activist, a National Coordinator of Tea Party Patriots, and the developer of the Contract from America initiative www.contractfromamerica.com Their new "Contract FROM America"
Upcoming Events with Thom Hartmann:
Friday, March 5th - 6 to 8pm, Denver, CO - AM 760 presents Thom and David Sirota taking opposite sides "Is it Time to Abandon the Democratic Party?" Event is sold out but you can still enter to win tickets!! Visit AM760.net for details.
Comments
#2
David Bossie is misrepresenting his case. The court documents clearly say the FEC had no problem with his commercials. His case hinged on whether broadcasting on pay-per-view was a violation. The SCOTUS overstepped the boundaries of the initial case.
#3
@Charles Absolutely, you said what I was trying to say.
#4
Corporations will use their money to drown out all other voices. Networks will drive up the price to advertise to the point that only corporations can afford.
#5
"Citizens United" seems rather a contradiction in terms, since polls suggest that they "united" relatively few "citizens" behind their support of declaring corporations "persons."
#6
How about evil corporations like Monsanto stealing farmers land?
See green960.com podcast Organic Conversations to hear Percy Schmeiser's latest speech at the Eco Farm Organic Farm Conference. And of course, the documentary shot by Jerry Garcia's widow, I should say, The Future of Food.
#7
"There's a lots of loopholes in a lot of laws." That's David's response. I'm sure that's good enough for the average FAUX news watcher.
#8
You gotem! Alqaeda United through the Manufacturers Union.
#9
@KMH not the Manufacturers' Union, its NAM: National Association of Manufacturers, i.e. management, not labor.
#10
Me thinks the Supreme Court wants to take out the lawyers as our next level of protection.
#11
It seems pretty obvious from David Bossie's comments, that he and the Citizens United v FEC backers did really think through what they wanted from our Supreme Court. It seems that, as usually, there were thinking only of themselves and the personal powers they want to exert over the rest of the electorate. He also seems to believe that he will get local market tea-baggers to go along with the promise of similarly disproportionate power over their local market politics.
An older and wiser once told me: for women and people of color white boys can be scary, but the only thing scarier is a DUMB white boy.
#12
So is this an act of terrorism by a tea bagger?
#13
To respond to caller's question. The President has the power to veto. The only veto Bush exercised was to strike down expansion on SCHIP.
#14
@KMH: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." -Shakespeare, King Henry V
#15
In regard to the man who flew his plane into the North Austin office building, I hope Thom realizes now that--if this guy is indeed of the "teabagger" side of the spectrum--that we can't coddle these people anymore. Since the mainstream media opened-up this Pandora's Box, it is its responsibility to expose it and contain it.
#16
David Bossie new exactly what he was doing or he was a big patsy for the corporatist faction of the Supreme Court.
#17
@KMH:
"So is this an act of terrorism by a tea bagger?"
No. A teabagger would have missed.
#18
Allright- how many tea baggers does it take to screw in a light bulb-
#19
@KMH:
" how many tea baggers does it take to screw in a light bulb?"
5. Only one to do it, as long as it's a male bulb and a female socket.
#20
I mean: Only one to do it, as long as it’s a male bulb and a female socket.
#21
Tort reform: If lawyers are getting 50% of their fees from punative awards, limit the amount the lawyer can take not how much can be awarded.
#22
@Bryan thx
#23
@okay- HArry wins, one teabagger can do!
#24
FYI
In todays Minneapolis StarTribune there was an article about foreclosures. It seems that 4 out of 5 counties which comprise Michele Bachmann's Congressional District are amongst the worst statewide in the number of foreclosures. Bachmann has fought every legislative measure or program proposed to help home owners and the mortgage crisis. She even voted against a Bush plan to ease things for homeowners. Minnesota's statewide average for foreclosure rates stands at 1.28% of all residential properties. That is dangerously high, more than 3 times the normal rate. Sherburne County, at 2.48% followed by Wright County, Anoka County, and Washington County, all in Michele's district, are in the top ten counties in numbers of foreclosures. Michele famously said that people who find themselves in foreclosure are "irresponsible". Many of the people thrown out of there homes are the same people who voted for Bachmann. They know she is Christian and anti-abortion. They don't know her true positions on foreclosures or other things which affect them the most. People from her three poorest ,(rural), counties live in a black hole. If they read a paper, it's probably a local weekly which is published by the family conglomerate of a deceased former Republican Governor of Minnesota. Let's say they have a particular slant and a habit of leaving out what threatens their view. Real journalists have called the area the "Tween", because it is between St. Cloud and Minneapolis. No TV coverage, No Air America Radio, No Progressive alternative source of information readily available. There are places like this all across this country. What makes this unique, however painfully, is that out of this pathology comes a monster like Bachmann. Michele not only doesn't bring home the bacon for her constituents but votes against their interests and relies on their solid votes to provide her with a pulpit where she spreads suspicion, cynicism, intolerance and hatred nationwide; all with a smile! If I believed in such things, I would call her the Devil. She is dangerous to all who reject the extreme right wing agenda.
There is work afoot to change the paradigm in which Bachmann operates. There is a plan to bring the alternative messages to the people who elect her, and shine some light on her true intentions. An unconnected, multi-candidate, F.E.C. registered, Political Action Committee has formed in Minnesota's 6th Cong. Dist. We are well along our way to raising our first 50K goal. That will allow us to saturate target markets in a way before unseen in these parts. RATPAC will go after RATS. Accuracy and Truth are in the PAC's acronym and best describe our mission and our methods. We will not mind "bringing a gun to a knife fight" or hitting below the belt when warranted or effective because we only plan to bully bullies and liars. Our work should make it easier for honest, progressive candidates to challenge her. We'll do the "dirty work" giving them Hell like when Harry Truman said: "I don't really give them Hell, I just tell the truth and they think it's Hell!" Stay Tuned, our website will be up soon. We are going to need donations from all good progressives. $5, $10, whatever. We have raised 15K locally thus far in only three weeks but need 35K more to begin the push back against Michele. She's just the pilot project. Public Enemy #1. We intend to target other's of Michele's icky ilk in the future. Stay tuned.
#25
Hi Thom,
Unless I suffered a "senior moment", I don't think you ever finished telling about your White House meeting and the special point you made at the meeting. (Please forgive me if I missed it --- I was really interested in hearing it, though.) Could you please repeat it?
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If this Dave from Citizens United was really smart, he would just agree with Thom. Instead, he is revealing that he might have been involved in the outcome of the ruling, by defending the ruling.